terrell39
Ancient Mariner
http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/epica-had-27-songs-to-choose-from-for-the-holographic-principle/
Interview with Simone about upcoming LP
Interview with Simone about upcoming LP
Epica
- Thread starter Forostar
- Start date
The Quantum Enigma
Intro is OK but useless again.
The Second Stone is an OK song but weaker opener compared to previous 2 albums.
The Essence Of Silence is amazing. So far there's a notable improvement when it comes to choirs and orchestra, considering they are using real ones for the first time I think. I preferred the more guitar-oriented approach of previous 2 albums though.
Victims Of Contingency is OK but a bit formulaic.
Sense Without Sanity has a cool melody in the middle but not much else.
Unchain Utopia is another great song, however... not really liking how loud the choir is, it's well performed but louder than everything else in the mix.
The Fifth Guardian - hello Nightwish!
The rest of the album is a giant snoozefest. I guess Canvas Of Life is passable too, but the rest is a disappointment, especially the Kingdom Of Heaven sequel.
Went a few pages back in this thread and I said this album was awesome?!
One of those albums that are great in everything but memorability.
Intro is OK but useless again.
The Second Stone is an OK song but weaker opener compared to previous 2 albums.
The Essence Of Silence is amazing. So far there's a notable improvement when it comes to choirs and orchestra, considering they are using real ones for the first time I think. I preferred the more guitar-oriented approach of previous 2 albums though.
Victims Of Contingency is OK but a bit formulaic.
Sense Without Sanity has a cool melody in the middle but not much else.
Unchain Utopia is another great song, however... not really liking how loud the choir is, it's well performed but louder than everything else in the mix.
The Fifth Guardian - hello Nightwish!
The rest of the album is a giant snoozefest. I guess Canvas Of Life is passable too, but the rest is a disappointment, especially the Kingdom Of Heaven sequel.
Went a few pages back in this thread and I said this album was awesome?!
One of those albums that are great in everything but memorability.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
You surely have a different taste from mine. Opposite even. I expect a trashing from the first two albums. You don't like the production, and it is not heavy enough. 
Sense without Sanity is great all the way. Probably my favourite song, with Helloweenish riffs. Most songs are strong to be honest.
This album has a lot of strong melody and excellent use of choir for sure. Choir has always been real by the way. This album is less on (very) heavy guitar riffing but has more catchy (thus imo more memorable!) moments.
By the way, I noticed that you are not into the intros, but I still wonder how you like the ones from the first albums. Clearly better (especially the first) than later ones imo.
Sense without Sanity is great all the way. Probably my favourite song, with Helloweenish riffs. Most songs are strong to be honest.
This album has a lot of strong melody and excellent use of choir for sure. Choir has always been real by the way. This album is less on (very) heavy guitar riffing but has more catchy (thus imo more memorable!) moments.
By the way, I noticed that you are not into the intros, but I still wonder how you like the ones from the first albums. Clearly better (especially the first) than later ones imo.
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Next album I'm gonna listen to is The Classical Conspiracy live album, afterwards it's the first 3 albums, probably starting from the first one 
Probably why I like it less :/
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Yep, see previous edited post.Next album I'm gonna listen to is The Classical Conspiracy live album, afterwards it's the first 3 albums, probably starting from the first one
Probably why I like it less :/
The Classical Conspiracy: I have it laying around somewhere but don't remember anything of it. Perhaps you'll like the first three even less now, if you have heard live versions before. Perhaps you can still better change the order?
edit:
I'm playing Requiem now and my beef is that a lot of choir parts sound as if their melodic contributions were simply stuck onto the music (sounds forced), where on Quantum the melodies sound as integral elements of the song. The melodies don't follow each other in a logical way. They pop out of nowhere. I miss flow, I miss structure. Also the sound of the choir is less.
Worst title track, with bad end. (Bad album cover as well).
Without having finished it yet (will do tomorrow!), I already sense this is their worst album, hands down. I suspect Jansen from having used the best in him for Mayan. Two songs seem like Mayan left overs (the ones co-written by Jack Driessen). This album is the only one for which we (me and my wife) haven't seen any gigs.
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Main reason why I'm relistening is because I got a new Mp3 player and I'm trying to fit in only the best music on it. For most of the bands I already know what to pick without relistening (like Maiden), but for some I have to relisten. I already know I'll pick one song from The Classical Conspiracy so that's why it has advantage over first 3 albums I have like 50 albums left to relisten & pick.
P.S. There's a The Gathering album on the list, will probably post about that one too if you're interested
I have like 50 albums left to relisten & pick.P.S. There's a The Gathering album on the list, will probably post about that one too if you're interested
I know, I refreshed a couple of times 
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
No. Sounds cool. Better than the 2nd half of the album at least.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Mark Jansen: the 10 records that changed my life
1. Ayreon - The Final Experiment (1995)
“I remember exactly where I was when I first heard this: in my bedroom at my parent’s house. I had read a review in a magazine that gave it 10 out of 10, so I figured I should just order it. And the first time I heard it, I actually thought the album sucked, haha!
“I thought it was a waste of money, but I gave it another spin, liking it more every time I played it. And now it’s become one of my most played albums ever made.
“You keep hearing new things in it, and I tend to like the records you can discover more in over time. It had all these different singers - it was like an opera.
“Arjen Anthony Lucassen must have worked for a really long time on it. I’ve met him a few times, and he’s always interested in what Epica are doing, as I am to hear of what new steps he’s been taking. On this album, everything came together perfectly.”
2. Gorefest - Erase (1994)
“I used to watch Headbangers Ball on MTV when I was about 14 years old. Sometimes I’d record it, but I usually preferred to watch it live. And one night I remember seeing the video for the song Erase, which was so dark and moody, especially considering how young I was at the time…
“I loved how it was shot in black and white while showing a band at the high point of their career. I instantly saw that and thought, ‘I must have this album!’ so I bought it and couldn’t stop playing it at home. And I still love it – there’s just so much energy in the music - it’s so tight and powerful.”
3. The Gathering - Mandylion (1995)
“This is the first album they made with Anneke Van Giersbergen on vocals, and is probably the record that made me realise it was possible to combine female vocals with metal music. Before that, no-one had really been doing it - of course there was Doro, but nothing in this specific style.
“There’s a huge doomy side to this album that really helped me get into making these kinds of sounds, which I started exploring in After Forever and later on with Epica. So it’s definitely an album that changed my life.”
4. Megadeth - Rust In Peace (1990)
“I went to the record store in my hometown and there was a little metal section. I was looking at all the albums and one just stuck out purely because of its cover! It was Rust In Peace, though I had no idea what the music was like.
“As it turns out, I hadn’t ever quite heard anything that heavy… I was blown away from the first riff. I’ll never forget sitting there with goosebumps listening to Holy Wars… The Punishment Due thinking, ‘Yes! This is my kind of music, this is what I like!’
“They were the first metal band I got into. I remember reading the booklet and seeing which solos were played by Marty Friedman, which in my opinion were the best! He was very important for Megadeth.
“In recent years, they’ve released albums that haven’t come close to this masterpiece, but I’m glad to see their last album carries a lot of the old energy they had on Rust In Peace.”
5. Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes (1994)
“After getting into Megadeth, I bought lots of metal albums by bands like Anthrax, and continued searching for heavier stuff. In the same record store, Tales From The Thousand Lakes had a cover that fascinated me - I had to find out more…
“I asked the guy in the store if I could listen to it on their headphones. I loved the piano and all the atmosphere that comes in, and then the guy started growling! And I didn’t like those types of vocals, so I was a bit disappointed but I bought it anyway.
“As it turns out, I started appreciating those growls more and more. It was a life-changing album - now, because of Amorphis, I’m doing it myself!”
6. Machine Head - Burn My Eyes (1994)
“I actually own two CDs of this classic! Again, I saw the Davidian video on Headbangers Ball, and presenter Vanessa Warwick announcing the band as: ‘burn your eyes but don’t burn your ears!’ Then she played Davidian, which sounded like a masterpiece to me. I needed to get the album right away…
“But it was late and I had to wait for the record store to open the next day - let’s say the night was very long for me! I finally got it and a little later I created some Machine Head artwork which I entered into a competition which, believe it or not, I won third place in. My prize was a copy of the album… but I already had it, of course!”
7. Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction (1987)
“I always loved Slash for the Gibson Goldtop, the long hair and the hat. My father was the one who introduced me to Guns N’ Roses.
“I was already a fan of Slash - he was a huge idol to me and a big reason why I ended up playing guitar myself. Before this, I was listening to softer music like Top 40 stuff on the radio, but when my dad came home with this album, it became the start of listening to heavier music.
“It was at a crucial time in my life… who knows, without this album, maybe I never would have ended up in a metal band! The energy they had was so special - they were trashing hotel rooms and always in the news.
“I was fascinated by that stuff, and though I’ve never trashed a room myself, as a young kid, I thought it was cool.”
8. Clannad - The Best Of Clannad: In A Lifetime (2003)
“When I was younger, my favourite series on TV was Robin Of Sherwood, and Clannad wrote the title track Robin (The Hooded Man). It’s very sentimental for me - I listen to it at least once a month when I want to relax. I find it puts me in a nice state of mind.
“I couldn’t pick a specific album, as there are many which have great songs, so I went for the best of with all the classics combined. That’s what I usually play myself!
“My favourite track is hard to pronounce - it’s called Caislean Oir, a very mystical and choir-led track. It’s fascinated me greatly since I first heard it, and I still think it’s the most ethereal pieces I’ve heard in my life.
“Not long ago, I visited Mexico and went to the old Mayan ruins with this playing on my iPod. I had goosebumps all over my arms!”
9. Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 3 (1909)
“The third piano concerto - they call it Rach III for short - is my favourite piece of classical music. It’s important to remember Epica is partly an orchestral band; we are very inspired by that kind of music… but definitely not the cheesy side of that music.
“Rachmaninoff composed really dark classical pieces. It took me a while to get into - when I was younger I always felt it was too complicated and hard to understand, but I’ve found as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started appreciating it more and more.”
10. Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)
“There had to be an Opeth album in this list! Just when I thought nothing else could surprise me in the metal scene, these guys came along. I actually didn’t know about them for a long time, but once I discovered them, I was completely blown away.
“I chose this album because I love it as a whole - my favourite Opeth track is actually on another album, the title track off Deliverance, but Blackwater Park would have to be my favourite album.
“It’s actually very hard to choose just one thing by a band that have so many great records. I still think they are incredibly underrated. In 50 years, people will look back on Opeth and value them with a lot more recognition than they have now. They are one of the best in the history of heavy music.”
@Night Prowler @MrKnickerbocker @Brigantium @Unknown One @The Flash @Mosh @Zare @Cornfed Hick
1. Ayreon - The Final Experiment (1995)
“I remember exactly where I was when I first heard this: in my bedroom at my parent’s house. I had read a review in a magazine that gave it 10 out of 10, so I figured I should just order it. And the first time I heard it, I actually thought the album sucked, haha!
“I thought it was a waste of money, but I gave it another spin, liking it more every time I played it. And now it’s become one of my most played albums ever made.
“You keep hearing new things in it, and I tend to like the records you can discover more in over time. It had all these different singers - it was like an opera.
“Arjen Anthony Lucassen must have worked for a really long time on it. I’ve met him a few times, and he’s always interested in what Epica are doing, as I am to hear of what new steps he’s been taking. On this album, everything came together perfectly.”
2. Gorefest - Erase (1994)
“I used to watch Headbangers Ball on MTV when I was about 14 years old. Sometimes I’d record it, but I usually preferred to watch it live. And one night I remember seeing the video for the song Erase, which was so dark and moody, especially considering how young I was at the time…
“I loved how it was shot in black and white while showing a band at the high point of their career. I instantly saw that and thought, ‘I must have this album!’ so I bought it and couldn’t stop playing it at home. And I still love it – there’s just so much energy in the music - it’s so tight and powerful.”
3. The Gathering - Mandylion (1995)
“This is the first album they made with Anneke Van Giersbergen on vocals, and is probably the record that made me realise it was possible to combine female vocals with metal music. Before that, no-one had really been doing it - of course there was Doro, but nothing in this specific style.
“There’s a huge doomy side to this album that really helped me get into making these kinds of sounds, which I started exploring in After Forever and later on with Epica. So it’s definitely an album that changed my life.”
4. Megadeth - Rust In Peace (1990)
“I went to the record store in my hometown and there was a little metal section. I was looking at all the albums and one just stuck out purely because of its cover! It was Rust In Peace, though I had no idea what the music was like.
“As it turns out, I hadn’t ever quite heard anything that heavy… I was blown away from the first riff. I’ll never forget sitting there with goosebumps listening to Holy Wars… The Punishment Due thinking, ‘Yes! This is my kind of music, this is what I like!’
“They were the first metal band I got into. I remember reading the booklet and seeing which solos were played by Marty Friedman, which in my opinion were the best! He was very important for Megadeth.
“In recent years, they’ve released albums that haven’t come close to this masterpiece, but I’m glad to see their last album carries a lot of the old energy they had on Rust In Peace.”
5. Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes (1994)
“After getting into Megadeth, I bought lots of metal albums by bands like Anthrax, and continued searching for heavier stuff. In the same record store, Tales From The Thousand Lakes had a cover that fascinated me - I had to find out more…
“I asked the guy in the store if I could listen to it on their headphones. I loved the piano and all the atmosphere that comes in, and then the guy started growling! And I didn’t like those types of vocals, so I was a bit disappointed but I bought it anyway.
“As it turns out, I started appreciating those growls more and more. It was a life-changing album - now, because of Amorphis, I’m doing it myself!”
6. Machine Head - Burn My Eyes (1994)
“I actually own two CDs of this classic! Again, I saw the Davidian video on Headbangers Ball, and presenter Vanessa Warwick announcing the band as: ‘burn your eyes but don’t burn your ears!’ Then she played Davidian, which sounded like a masterpiece to me. I needed to get the album right away…
“But it was late and I had to wait for the record store to open the next day - let’s say the night was very long for me! I finally got it and a little later I created some Machine Head artwork which I entered into a competition which, believe it or not, I won third place in. My prize was a copy of the album… but I already had it, of course!”
7. Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction (1987)
“I always loved Slash for the Gibson Goldtop, the long hair and the hat. My father was the one who introduced me to Guns N’ Roses.
“I was already a fan of Slash - he was a huge idol to me and a big reason why I ended up playing guitar myself. Before this, I was listening to softer music like Top 40 stuff on the radio, but when my dad came home with this album, it became the start of listening to heavier music.
“It was at a crucial time in my life… who knows, without this album, maybe I never would have ended up in a metal band! The energy they had was so special - they were trashing hotel rooms and always in the news.
“I was fascinated by that stuff, and though I’ve never trashed a room myself, as a young kid, I thought it was cool.”
8. Clannad - The Best Of Clannad: In A Lifetime (2003)
“When I was younger, my favourite series on TV was Robin Of Sherwood, and Clannad wrote the title track Robin (The Hooded Man). It’s very sentimental for me - I listen to it at least once a month when I want to relax. I find it puts me in a nice state of mind.
“I couldn’t pick a specific album, as there are many which have great songs, so I went for the best of with all the classics combined. That’s what I usually play myself!
“My favourite track is hard to pronounce - it’s called Caislean Oir, a very mystical and choir-led track. It’s fascinated me greatly since I first heard it, and I still think it’s the most ethereal pieces I’ve heard in my life.
“Not long ago, I visited Mexico and went to the old Mayan ruins with this playing on my iPod. I had goosebumps all over my arms!”
9. Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 3 (1909)
“The third piano concerto - they call it Rach III for short - is my favourite piece of classical music. It’s important to remember Epica is partly an orchestral band; we are very inspired by that kind of music… but definitely not the cheesy side of that music.
“Rachmaninoff composed really dark classical pieces. It took me a while to get into - when I was younger I always felt it was too complicated and hard to understand, but I’ve found as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started appreciating it more and more.”
10. Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)
“There had to be an Opeth album in this list! Just when I thought nothing else could surprise me in the metal scene, these guys came along. I actually didn’t know about them for a long time, but once I discovered them, I was completely blown away.
“I chose this album because I love it as a whole - my favourite Opeth track is actually on another album, the title track off Deliverance, but Blackwater Park would have to be my favourite album.
“It’s actually very hard to choose just one thing by a band that have so many great records. I still think they are incredibly underrated. In 50 years, people will look back on Opeth and value them with a lot more recognition than they have now. They are one of the best in the history of heavy music.”
@Night Prowler @MrKnickerbocker @Brigantium @Unknown One @The Flash @Mosh @Zare @Cornfed Hick
terrell39
Ancient Mariner
I bought Rust In Peace as a new release and that CD did NOT print the lead guitar credits, only the lyrics. I remember this because when I saw them live on that tour I made certain I noticed who was playing which solo because that was the only way I could find out. Perhaps Mark bought a re-release which did have the lead guitars credited (which I was not aware even existed)
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Went to Epic Metal Fest, having the new album for one day in my possession (heard it three times). What a great gig. Bloody good setlist:
Intro: Eidola
Intro: Eidola
- Edge of the Blade (Live Premiere)
- A Phantasmic Parade (Live Premiere)
- Storm the Sorrow
- Universal Death Squad (Live Premiere)
- Divide and Conquer (Live Premiere)
- Beyond the Matrix (Live Premiere)
- Dancing in a Hurricane (Live Premiere)
- Seif al Din (First time live since 2011)
- Façade of Reality
- Ascension - Dream State Armageddon (Live Premiere)
- Unchain Utopia
- Design Your Universe
- Fools of Damnation
- The Essence of Silence
- Consign to Oblivion
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Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Yeah!! Check it out @terrell39 and @Night Prowler superb tracks from the debut album!
And the best song from the ones they played from the new album imo:
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terrell39
Ancient Mariner
So when @Forostar introduced me to Epica almost a year ago, I chose the songs from Amazon Prime that they play live the most often so I would be familiar with them when/if I ever saw them live. That means The Holographic Principle is the first CD I have bought as a new release and listened to for the first time with the lyric booklet. Really cool to experience them this way. Difficult to choose a favorite track. Have not heard one I don't like yet. Even though it is cheesy, I love Beyond the Matrix. Looking forward to the show!
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Mark Jansen about Priest and Maiden (source):
The record I can't understand why everybody loves is…
"Judas Priest. I never quite got Judas Priest. There’s many friends of mine that was all about Judas Priest. Even the guy I founded After Forever with, he was a big Judas Priest fan. So when I said “I don’t like them that much”, it really pissed him off. You had to like them. Otherwise you knew nothing about music. Not a good taste. But we both liked Iron Maiden. I tried many times to get into it. For me it’s a bit overrated."
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The record I can't understand why everybody loves is…
"Judas Priest. I never quite got Judas Priest. There’s many friends of mine that was all about Judas Priest. Even the guy I founded After Forever with, he was a big Judas Priest fan. So when I said “I don’t like them that much”, it really pissed him off. You had to like them. Otherwise you knew nothing about music. Not a good taste. But we both liked Iron Maiden. I tried many times to get into it. For me it’s a bit overrated."
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